When you walk into a newly constructed house, you will likely find the kitchen to be a main focus. Often described as the “heart,” the kitchen is designed to be the center of the home. This wasn’t always the case.
Before World War I, the domestic kitchen space was an exclusive domain of working-class women employed as cooks and maids. The kitchen was located to the rear of the house beyond public view and they were often small and inefficient.
In the 1940s, the kitchen design improved, mainly due to the efforts of women architects and designers and the demands of middle-class women. Fewer homes had servants, and it was in middle-class women’s interests to create a space that was less isolated, more accessible and more efficient.
Enter the “kitchen triangle,” a design created by the University of Illinois School of Architecture that connects the three major work centers: the stove, the sink and the refrigerator. Aside from its design change, the kitchen’s location moved, too, and is integrated with other shared domestic spaces. This “open design” allows for simultaneous cooking, eating and entertaining.
Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer and author of “Mystery of Color,” said that in the 1950s, color was introduced to the traditionally white appliances. The 1960s saw coppertone, which has remained on the top of the list of favorite colors. The ‘70s brought naturals, the ‘80s and ‘90s returned whites, and with the new century came stainless steel. Today, white remains the most popular choice for kitchen appliances with stainless and black finishes.
A well-planned kitchen does not necessarily mean a triangle design, nor one that is large. As the kitchen design continues to evolve, the best one is one that inspires your cooking.
[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 3/12/2015 under the headline “Kitchen: heart of home”]
